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Big protest rally near Raje's residence

Special Correspondent

Demonstration against lathicharge on the residents of Kho Nagorian village on the outskirts of Pink City

JAIPUR: Thousands of people marched on roads and staged a massive demonstration near the Chief Minister's residence here on Tuesday in protest against the police lathicharge on the residents of Kho Nagorian village who were resisting the Jaipur Development Authority's move to acquire a stretch of land used as a burial ground.

Nearly 50 persons, including policemen, were injured in the clash at Kho Nagorian on the outskirts of Jaipur on Monday. Nine of the 15 persons admitted to Sawai Man Singh Hospital with multiple injuries have since been shifted to the polytrauma ward. The condition of three old persons is stated to be serious.

Police had chased the people opposing the JDA officials -- who were trying to get possession of the land for an educational institution -- to long distances and beat them brutally while not sparing even those who took shelter in a mosque.

The Opposition Congress has extended its support to the victims of police brutality and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. A large number of Congress leaders, including Mamta Sharma, Mohammed Mahir Azad and Pratap Singh Khachariawas, participated in the demonstration.

A delegation of the residents of Kho Nagorian, accompanied by local activists and Congress leaders, met the Governor, Pratibha Patil, and demanded that the burial ground be left out of allotment to the private school and earmarked as a graveyard for the use of villagers.

A memorandum submitted to the Governor also made the demand for action against the police officials who resorted to lathicharge "without any provocation'' as well as withdrawal of criminal cases registered against the villagers. The villagers have been demanding conversion of land measuring nearly six bighas into a graveyard, while pointing out that the presence of old graves and tombs was a proof of its use for burial since long. The JDA, on the other hand, has reserved about 50 bighas of land including the disputed stretch for allotment to a school.

The delegation of villagers and activists attended a meeting convened by the Jaipur Collector, Rajeshwar Singh, to sort out the issue in consultation with the revenue officials. According to the sources, a consensus in favour of allotting the land for burial ground emerged at the meeting.

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